In line with Singapore’s vision to become a Smart Nation, the Intellectual Property Office of Singapore (IPOS) has launched a FinTech Fast Track (FTFT) initiative, effective from 26 April 2018 for a period of 12 months, in order to expedite the file-to-grant process for FinTech patent applications for as fast as 6 months. Normally, it […]

Following on from our previous article on patent updates in Vietnam, this piece serves to summarise the key amendments made to both patent and trademark procedures by the NOIP commencing January 2018. New regulations with regard to patent and trademark procedures in Vietnam came into force on 15th January 2018. These amended regulations aim to […]

New regulations with regard to patent applications in Vietnam came into force on 15th January 2018. These amended regulations aim to bring the Vietnamese intellectual property system in line with recent developments. Below are three of the main changes based on guidelines laid out in Circular No. 16/2016/TT-BKHCN from the Ministry of Science and Technology, […]

The very foundation of the patent system is a quid pro quo – a set of exclusive rights granted to a patentee in exchange for inter alia the patentee’s duty to fulfil the society’s reasonable requirements in relation to the invention (including the ‘working’ of the said invention within the jurisdiction). The Indian Patents Act […]

On August 28, 2017, the Brunei Intellectual Property Office (BruIPO) signed an agreement to introduce a new patent examination initiative – the Patent Prosecution Highway Plus (PPH+) – with the Japan Patent Office (JPO), which will commence on October 1, 2017. Using this PPH+ system, patent prosecution procedures in Brunei are accelerated by allowing BruIPO […]

Throughout 2017 so far, the government in Thailand has been signalling its intention to revamp the country’s patent system to provide a more efficient standard of service to applicants and inventors. In February, Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O Cha pledged to urgently deal with a problem: around 20,000 domestic and international patent applications made to the […]

Singapore has recently announced a range of major changes to its patent rules that will affect those seeking protection in a variety of ways. On 28 February 2017, changes to the Patents (Amendment) Bill were approved to revamp the patent application system, commencing on 1 January 2020. The new Bill aims at a more stringent […]

An important piece of new Indonesian patent legislation, Law No.13 of 2016, came into effect on August 26, 2016, replacing the old patent law, No.14 of 2001. Simple Patents Under the old legislation, simple patents merely covered visible product innovation. The new law has expanded the scope of protection of a simple patent to include […]

The Patent (Amendment) Rules, 2016 were implemented by the Indian Patent Office on 16 May 2016. The salient features of the said rules are as follows: Reduction of time to file response to First Examination Report (FER) The time allowed to respond to a FER for putting an application in order for grant has been […]

When a patent owner desires to abandon a patent, usually they simply do so by non-action, i.e. by stopping payment of the annuity fees. However, the same may not be true in Indonesia, and this has now become one of the most debated subjects among IP practitioners in this territory. The relevant provisions are Articles […]